Report: Roethlisberger will start vs. 49ers

Roethlisberger, who is listed as questionable with a high ankle sprain, was able to do enough in practice Saturday that a decision was made for him to play.

“He’s good enough to go,” a source told the Post-Gazette.

According to the report, the Steelers decided to start Roethlisberger before the Chargers’ 34-14 victory over the Ravens tonight. Thanks to Baltimore’s loss, Pittsburgh (10-3) will earn the AFC’s No. 1 seed if they win their remaining three games.

The remaining question, of course, is how much Roethlisberger’s ad-lib ability will be affected by his injury.

At 6-foot-5 and 241 pounds, he’s typically adept at avoiding would-be sacks, keeping his eyes downfield and finding receivers for long completions. Through Week 14, Roethlisberger ranked fifth in the NFL in yards per pass attempt (8.2).

“You see him play after play getting out of stuff,” 49ers defensive tackle Justin Smith said Saturday. “They have him dead to rights and the next thing you know, he’s spinning out and throwing the ball on the money.”

* On Sunday, left tackle Joe Staley (concussion) was medically cleared to play, CSN Bay Area reported. Staley is expected to start and face second-year Steelers linebacker Jason Worilds, who will replace suspended linebacker James Harrison.